In the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) environment where a plurality of multicast transmissions are transmitted to a user, there exist several service providers which provide a picture in picture (PIP) service. PIP services are those in which two or more video streams are displayed simultaneously. Generally one is smaller than the other (or others) and the smaller one overlays the larger.
In these current services the PIP is provided in an analogue format and the set top box (STB) or television (TV) at the user end of the transmission is where the PIP is formed.
In the digital format and with services such as internet protocol TV (IPTV) each picture requires a tuner and sufficient bandwidth for each. For example to have a PIP based on three channels, three tuners or decoders would be required at the STB or TV and a bandwidth of >10 Mb/s (3×3.75 Mb/s). This is costly in terms of equipment and bandwidth costs and overheads. Accordingly this functionality is rarely made available to users.
One object of the present invention is to provide a PIP method and apparatus which overcomes at least one of the problems of the prior art.